144 ON SOUNDNESS AND UNSOUNDNESS, 
are obliged to ascribe either to a want of professional skill, or, at 
least, of the properly defined point where soundness terminates 
and unsoundness commences. Such is a short sketch of our 
professional knowledge, intended as a preface to the more im- 
portant subject of professional education, the consideration of 
which I postpone for my next communication. 
ON SOUNDNESS AND UNSOUNDNESS, AND THE 
DUTY OF THE VETERINARY SURGEON. 
By Mr. W. C. Spooner, Southampton . 
To the Editor . 
Dear Sir, — I n your able leading article of last month on “The 
Examination of Horses,” you conclude with the remark, “ we 
will return to this subject, unless it should soon employ a bet- 
ter pen.” Now, disclaiming every — the slightest — idea of de- 
priving your readers of the advantage of your additional notice, 
I would yet venture to offer a few general observations on the 
matter in question ; and if in so doing I should, in some degree, 
differ from you, I am sure you will regard such difference with 
your usual fairness and candour. 
The horse trial that has led to your remarks presents, certainly, 
a singular discrepancy in the opinions of the practitioners who 
were concerned thereon, and a discrepancy, in many respects, to 
be regretted ; the more particularly as the public are altogether 
unacquainted with those shades and shadows which often sepa- 
rate health from disease ; but imagine, on the contrary, that the 
soundness and unsoundness of a horse must be as distinctly 
marked as the directing notice on a sign-post. I agree with you, 
that there is a great deficiency in the education of the student 
with regard to medical jurisprudence; but if this were obviated 
by longer attention to the subject, both on the part of the stu- 
dent and the lecturer, still it would not reconcile the present dif- 
ferences, nor afford a sufficient remedy for the evil complained 
of: for if there is much difference of opinion amongst the pro- 
fessors on this subject, they would, of course, make use of their 
opportunities in promulgating their own peculiar ideas; and thus 
would the mind of the student be bewildered in exchange for 
the ignorance which now so frequently prevails. Besides, 
however appropriate such observations on deficiency in the 
education may be to the obscure or newly-fledged practitioner, 
I cannot think they would justly apply to those more eminent 
surgeons whose fate it has been to differ so much on the matter 
